Tuesday, May 28, 2013

pesto, goat cheese, & roasted portobello sandwiches

This is barely a recipe, I know, but you'll have to excuse me. I'm struggling to get everything done on a daily basis right now and simple has been the key to all things food-related: spaghettios, salads, simple pizzas, and slow cooker leftovers take on new faces just to name a few.

Although my lack of homegrown basil feels like a good enough excuse, store-bought pesto is easy, and that's exactly what I'm after right now.

These sandwiches are SO easy. I've made them grilled cheese style and non-grilled style, and I like them both ways; the goat cheese still gets nice and melty when you layer the piping hot mushroom on it.

In a small bowl, combine the olive oil and vinegar with a sprinkle each of salt and pepper. Stir together.

Using a pastry brush, generously coat all sides of your cleaned portobello mushrooms with the oil-vinegar mixture.

Heat grill to medium. Starting with the gills facing up, grill mushrooms over medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes on each side. When the mushrooms are cooked through, they will be tender when pierced with a paring knife. Remove the mushrooms from the grill when they are tender and slice into thin strips.

Assemble your sandwiches by spreading goat cheese on one half, pesto on the other, and layering the portobello strips in between the two.

To make these a "grilled cheese" or a panini, butter the outsides of each bread, and cook in a skillet over medium heat, flipping once or twice, until the sandwiches are gold on the outside and the cheese is gooey on the inside.